🔗 Share this article Marathon Viewing The Latest Christmas Films: The Hits, The Misses, and The Guilty Pleasures. It is the time of year to slob out on the sofa and consume a packet of festive treats in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s so bad it’s good. As always, a batch of fresh seasonal stories strives to join part of our festive viewing—maybe even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Thus, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the festive feeling, I watched as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, hopefully, on a high. This film is the sole 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The Jonas Brothers end up trapped in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an evil Santa, who bursts into melody to announce they won’t get home until they “rekindle their familial spark.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while devotees will certainly pick up on lots of references as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for fans and a positive start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing action hero Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their reply. Unless you’re ignorant of traditional panto catchphrases. There are some hilarious moments, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma Danny Dyer shows up at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the second film in a row. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects Mr Sood, the latest spin on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the stingy Mr Sood is visited by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s acting is flat—a major flaw when he’s so central to everything. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the setting—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. En route, she meets a guy in a bookshop who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A commentator recently claimed this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The secret is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but charming, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer begins by referencing Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually takes center stage. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new entry in the saturated market of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher
It is the time of year to slob out on the sofa and consume a packet of festive treats in front of a great film, a poor film, or one that’s so bad it’s good. As always, a batch of fresh seasonal stories strives to join part of our festive viewing—maybe even joining the ranks alongside beloved favorites like Home Alone, Elf, Love Actually, and Die Hard (no arguments). Thus, in a vital public service to sort the crackers from the turkeys, and to find the festive feeling, I watched as many fresh Christmas films as possible in a single day. First Up: The Jonas Brothers' Holiday Flick Beginning, hopefully, on a high. This film is the sole 2025 movie on a popular review site's list of the best 100 holiday films of all time. The Jonas Brothers end up trapped in the UK after wrapping up their international trek and must make it back for Christmas. Their endeavors are hindered by an evil Santa, who bursts into melody to announce they won’t get home until they “rekindle their familial spark.” The back-and-forth between the squabbling siblings is enjoyable even for the uninitiated, while devotees will certainly pick up on lots of references as they attempt to get back using all transportation available. It’s a journey of epic proportions. It’s not an all-time classic, but is great for fans and a positive start to the day. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄 for Jonas Brothers fans or 🎄🎄🎄 for their loved ones who must sit through it. 8.45am - Tinsel Town A-list actor Kiefer Sutherland stars as a celebrity cast a traditional British stage show. “A panto-what?” asks Sutherland’s “temperamental” and ageing action hero Brad Mack, who has fallen on hard times and whose representative has deceived him into thinking he’s performing in renowned British drama. His Aladdin fellow actors inform him he’s playing Buttons. “No I'm not,” he insists angrily. It's easy to predict their reply. Unless you’re ignorant of traditional panto catchphrases. There are some hilarious moments, some touching sub-plots, and the supporting actors is cracking, too. It’s the sort of feature that would be a bit tacky at another season, but is a highly enjoyable at Christmas. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄🎄 10.19am - Christmas Karma Danny Dyer shows up at the beginning of this film, too, insulting someone for the second film in a row. Might this become a budding festive ritual? This time, he’s a singing black cab driver who collects Mr Sood, the latest spin on Mr Scrooge from Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Mr Sood is played by a star of Kunal Nayyar and Christmas Karma is directed by the director of Gurinder Chadha. The classic narrative develops as the stingy Mr Sood is visited by the ghosts of Christmas yesterday, today, and tomorrow, played by Hugh Bonneville, Billy Porter, and Boy George. This Indian Scrooge is at least different from all the others, but sadly he’s not very compelling and Nayyar’s acting is flat—a major flaw when he’s so central to everything. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄 12.04pm - Stuffed There's just enough time for a major broadcaster's original festive film—which stars Guz Khan as a charmingly cantankerous character who “doesn’t really do Christmas.” But after he gets an large festive windfall at work, his wife (portrayed by Morgana Robinson) talks him into blowing the money on a holiday to Lapland. There’s just one issue—he finds out there was an mix-up with his bonus, which should have been £800, and he has to determine how to pay back the remainder. Pleasant yet unmemorable. Festive score: 🎄🎄 1.12pm - Champagne Problems This is one of those holiday movies where the festive trappings are in the setting—Christmas is the scene of the film rather than its raison d’etre—but it feels cosy and festive all the same. Driven corporate star Sydney (played by Minka Kelly) is dispatched to a country estate to secure an acquisition for a sparkling wine company. En route, she meets a guy in a bookshop who promises to show her Christmas in Paris. A commentator recently claimed this is the finest new Christmas film of the recent era. That’s a bit of a overstatement, but it is a festive dalliance with a dash of elegance and gives the necessary heartwarming sensation. The scene with a extended debate about Die Hard is very good too. Christmas tree rating: 🎄🎄🎄 Mid-Afternoon: Finding Father Christmas Teenage Chris, played by Lenny Rush, continues to believe in Father Christmas, regardless of the attempts of his dad (starring James Buckley) to tell him the truth. The secret is somewhere, and Chris sets out to find it with the expert help of a panel of well-known scientists and personalities. It’s understated but charming, and good viewing while anticipating Santa to visit. Festive score: 🎄🎄🎄 A Star-Studded Family Drama Michelle Pfeiffer is the matriarch of a bickering American family who gather for the holidays—including fellow acclaimed actress Felicity Jones, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jason Schwartzman, and dad Denis Leary. Pfeiffer begins by referencing Christmas classics like National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, It’s A Wonderful Life and Home Alone, before declaring: “They need to make a movie about the unsung heroes of the holidays—moms.” So that’s the concept, but in reality it’s really a mash-up of those aforementioned movies, at least until Pfeiffer’s character eventually takes center stage. Holiday verdict: 🎄🎄 Evening: A Scottish Christmas Secret The day’s gone downhill, but happily here’s a new entry in the saturated market of formulaic, schmaltzy, badly acted—and strangely compelling—festive fodder. It’s a story as familiar as can be: An American woman journeys to a picturesque cold country and ends up discovering romance. In this case, Caprice Bourret plays a publisher